Quote:
Originally Posted by HBJ
One of the theological problems with the Local Church is being accused of modalism. A website I found says "Modalism and Monarchianism are two false views of the nature of God and of Jesus Christ that appeared in the second and third centuries AD. A modalist views God as one Person instead of three Persons and believes that the Father, Son, and Spirit are simply different modes or forms of the same divine Person."
Now I did hear Brother Lee say "Jesus became the life - giving Spirit"
"Became" has modalist connotations. But Scripture is plain: God exists in three co-eternal, co-equal Persons. What do you all think?
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I donīt see where WL teaches modalism. 1 Cor. 15:45 says, "So also it is written, "The first Man, Adam, became a living soul." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit." (NASB). Of course, that is not the only verse in the Bible about God
, but that is what that verse says. So what does it mean, and why (it seems) so few books or sermons or whatever talk about this?
What I do feel I learned very wrongly in the Recovery is the lack of emphasis in the knowledge, experience, praise, worship, fellowsip, relationship, (please add more words) with the Father. Jesus constantly refererred to the Father; Jesus said He would reveal the Father to whom He would choose to. Paul prayed to the Father all the time. As far as I can remember the Father is barely mentioned in the Recovery except for the last 15 minutes of the table meeting on Sundays. I cannot remember one single time that somebody addressed prayers to the Father in the prayer meeting or any meeting. (that is different than teaching modalism, though).
Also, I remember being taught to shy away from strongly or bolding considering God as 3 Persons, because that could lead to tritheism. WL would say that many in christianity unconciously believe there are 3 gods. So he would teach instead that we should not emphasize that they are 3 Persons, but they are rather a hypostasis, i.e. from Wikipedia "In Christian theology, a hypostasis is one of the three hypostases (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) of the Trinity". He would say that they are like the 3 feet of a stool,---that is one stool, three feet. As a hypostasis, they are supporting elements.
After leaving the Recovery, one day I think I was reading a post from somebody here in LCD, addressing the matter of how the teachings about the TG in the Reoovery depersonalized the Godhead. As I read I felt the presence of the Lord move in me and in prayer I wept and repented and came back to realize my Triune God, is three living, real, personable, dear Persons!!!!
Yes they are one and three, no earthly math or logic applies here. I do see there are "overlaps", though, many times their name or place overlaps with one another, or are "switched" for one another. How could it be surprising if there is only one God? There has to be overlap, they are one. But wait, they are also three...itīs not for analysis, itīs for extasis! Itīs awesome, but rather HE is awesome!!!!